MASARAHA ROSS - 2.5 yo (2009)/ Charged: Father; Lester Ross, Jr. - Winter Haven FL

Winter Haven police said they are searching for a 2½-year-old girl who they described as “missing and endangered.’’



Police said Masaraha Ross was last known to be with her mother,
29-year-old Ronkeya Holmes, 29, who is also missing. Police would not
say why they consider the child to be endangered.The child and
Holmes, who is from Georgia, were last seen Oct. 18 at a Walmart store
in Haines City, said Winter Haven police Detective Amity McGee. Holmes
came to Polk to pick up her daughter who was visiting with relatives.
When family members did not hear from Holmes, they notified police,
McGee said.Police said there are conflicting stories as to the
last known location of the mother and daughter. However, witness
statements place them in either the Winter Haven or Haines City area.
Multiple law enforcement agencies are involved in this case, according to police.
Anyone with information about the missing pair can contact Detective Sgt.
Chris Ford at 863- 291-5733 or 863- 412-5973 and Detective Amity McGee
at 863-291-5312 or 863- 287-1961.

Winter Haven police sought the public's help Wednesday in finding a
2 1/2-year-old girl whom they described as 'missing and endangered.'
Police said Masaraha Ross was last known to be with her mother,
29-year-old Ronkeya Holmes, 29, who is also missing. Police would not
say why they consider the child to be endangered.The child and
Holmes, who is from Georgia, were last seen Oct. 18 at a Walmart store
in Haines City, said Detective Amity McGee. Holmes came to Polk
to pick up her daughter, who was visiting with relatives. When family
members did not hear from Holmes, they notified police, McGee said.Police
said there are conflicting stories as to the last known location of the
mother and daughter. However, witnesses place them in either the Winter
Haven or Haines City areas.Anyone with information about the
missing pair can contact Detective Sgt. Chris Ford at 863-291-5733 or
863-412-5973, and McGee can be reached at 863-291-5312 or 863- 287-1961.

Authorities from several law enforcement
agencies continue to investigate the disappearance of 2 1/2
year-old-Masaraha Ross, but they have not issued an Amber Alert.
Sgt. Brad Coleman, a spokesman for the Winter Haven Police
Department, said Friday morning that an Amber Alert has not been issued
because this case doesn’t quality. He said Masaraha is with her mother,
Ronkeya Holmes, 29, who has legal custody of the child.Mother and daughter were reported missing late Wednesday afternoon.According
to Coleman, Masaraha lives in Savannah, Ga. with her mother, but she
was visiting her father in Winter Haven. Holmes had come to pick up her
daughter after the visit.Coleman didn’t release the name of the father.“We had information that there was supposed to be a child exchange in Wal-Mart in Haines City,” Coleman said.Coleman said authorities reviewed surveillance tapes from Wal-Mart but didn’t glean any information from them.“The quality of the video didn’t allow us to see clearly if anyone involved was there,” Coleman said.Initial reports from Winter Haven police described the child as “missing and endangered,” although authorities didn’t say why.Masaraha
is black with black hair and black eyes, according to a missing persons
flyer released by the police department. She stands about 38 inches
tall and weighs about 30 pounds.There were conflicting stories
about the last known location of the missing girl and mother, but
witness statements placed them in either the Winter Haven or Haines
City areas, Coleman reported Wednesday.Coleman said he expects to release more information later Friday.

Winter Haven Police Detectives continue to
search for 3 1/2 year-old Masaraha Ross and her mother, Ronkeya Holmes,
29, and consider mother and daughter "endangered and missing."






Masaraha is believed to have last been seen in the company on her
mother, according to Sgt. Brad Coleman, spokesman for the Winter Haven
Police Department."Our investigators consider both Ross and Holmes to be missing and endangered at this time," Coleman said.Coleman
said Friday morning that an Amber Alert has not been issued because
this case doesn't qualify. He said Masaraha is with her mother, who has
legal custody of the child.Mother and daughter - whose age was
corrected by police from 2 1/2 years old to 3 1/2 years old Friday
afternoon - were reported missing late Wednesday afternoon.According
to Coleman, Masaraha lives in Savannah, Ga., with her mother, but she
was visiting her father in Winter Haven. Holmes had come to pick up her
daughter after the visit."We had information that there was supposed to be a child exchange in Wal-Mart in Haines City," Coleman said Friday morning.Coleman said authorities reviewed surveillance tapes from Wal-Mart but didn't glean any information from them."The quality of the video didn't allow us to see clearly if anyone involved was there," Coleman said.Coleman
said authorities received conflicting stories about the last known
location of the missing girl and mother, but witness statements placed
them in either the Winter Haven or Haines City areas, Coleman reported
Wednesday.By Friday afternoon, authorities had compiled a
chronology of events from a report filed by Holmes several weeks ago
and another filed by Nafateria Fletcher of Alma, Georgia on Oct. 23.Coleman
provided the following timeline of events compiled from information
supplied to Winter Haven Winter Haven Police Department by Holmes on
Oct. 7:April 14, Holmes met with Lester Ross in St. Augustine.
Holmes and Ross have a child together, Masaraha. Holmes was leaving
Masaraha with Ross until she finished school.Sept. 18, Holmes finished school and began attempting to get her daughter back from Lester Ross.Oct.
2, Holmes made contact with Ross via text messaging and informed him
that she was traveling to Winter Haven to pick up her daughter.Oct.
3, Holmes arrived in Winter Haven and made contact with Ross, who told
her that Masaraha was out of town with an uncle and would be returning
on Oct. 4.Oct. 4, Ross did not deliver Masaraha to Holmes as promised.Holmes returned to Georgia and on Oct. 7, contacted Winter Haven Police to make a report."It
should be noted that on October 7, 2009, we had no reason to believe
that Masaraha was missing or endangered and child custody, from a legal
standpoint, had not been established," Coleman said in the written
statement.Fletcher, 31, of Alma, Ga., is Holmes' sister. Her
statement to police resulted in the following addition to the time line
of events:Oct. 14-15, Holmes was in Winter Haven attempting to
get her daughter back and was staying with her former step father,
Archie Forte.Oct. 16, Holmes stayed with her grandmother in Haines City.Oct. 17, Holmes was in Winter Haven, again staying with Forte.Oct. 18, Fletcher came to Winter Haven because she was worried about her sister.Oct.
18, at 10:52 p.m., Joseph Wilcox, 34 of Winter Haven, was stopped by
Lake Mary Police while driving a 1992 Ford Escort driven to Florida by
Holmes. Wilcox was arrested on unrelated charges and the vehicle was
impounded.Oct. 20, Fletcher had a phone conversation with
Holmes. Fletcher states that Holmes told her that her car had been
towed when Wilcox was stopped by police and arrested. Holmes would not
tell Fletcher where she was and that she had Masaraha with her. Holmes
also told Fletcher that she (Holmes) would "take care of everything."Oct. 23, Fletcher filed a report with the Winter Haven Police Department.Ross,
was interviewed by the police and he stated that he last saw Holmes and
his daughter on Oct. 18, when he turned Masaraha over to Holmes at the
Haines City Wal-Mart. He states that he has not seen or heard from
either of them since.The case is still being investigated by
several departments, including Winter Haven Police Department, Haines
City Police Department, Lake Mary Police Department, Florida Department
of Law Enforcement, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation."Although
we are considering Masaraha Ross and Ronkeya Holmes as missing and
endangered, we have not obtained any physical evidence that a crime has
been committed at this time," Coleman said in the written report.
"Information contained in the above time line has been provided to us
by involved parties. Our investigators are in the process of confirming
and fact checking all statements provided to date."Masaraha is
black with black hair and black eyes, according to a missing persons
flier released by the police department. She stands about 38 inches
tall and weighs about 30 pounds.The Winter Haven Police
Department is attempting to identify, locate, and interview anyone who
has had contact with Masaraha and Holmes in the past two weeks. Anyone
with information is asked to call Detective Amity McGee at 863-291-5312.Anyone
with information who wants to remain anonymous and be eligible for a
cash reward is asked to call Polk County Crime Stoppers at
1-800-226-TIPS.

Baby clothes and shoes, a child’s book and
toys were in the back seat of the 1992 baby-blue Ford Escort that was
brought back to Winter Haven on Monday.





Joseph Wilcox


Lester Ross

On the front seat of the car belonging to Ronkeya “Keya” Holmes was a suitcase with women’s clothes in it.The
car belonging to the missing 29-year-old Georgia Woman and her
3½-year-old daughter, Masaraha Ross, was towed from Lake Mary so Winter
Haven police can examine it.The car was recovered Oct. 19 when police in Lake Mary stopped Joseph Wilcox, 34, of Winter Haven, who was driving it.Neither Holmes or her daughter were in the vehicle when Wilcox was stopped in the city east of Orlando.But their belongings were.Wilcox initially told detectives he didn’t know whose vehicle it was and that
his cousin, Lester Ross, who is Masaraha’s father, had asked him to
drive the Escort to Florida’s east coast, said Sgt. Brad Coleman.Wilcox would not talk to detectives further about what he was doing with the Escort, he said.Ross, 31, is not returning phone calls to detectives, Coleman said.Wilcox
was charged by Lake Mary police with driving with a suspended license.
He was moved from the Seminole County Jail to the Polk County Jail
where he is being held without bail on charges he violated probation
for driving on a suspended license.Holmes and her toddler have
been missing for two weeks and the events surrounding her disappearance
have perplexed investigators because there are inconsistencies in
statements from Holmes’ family and Masaraha’s father.Investigators consider Holmes and Masaraha endangered.Winter Haven police have the assistance of the FBI and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement on the case.The
last time Holmes’ mother, Edith Fletcher, and her sister, Nafateria
Fletcher, heard from her was Oct. 20 when she said she had been stopped
by police in Sanford and needed paperwork on the Escort.The Fletchers learned Wilcox was the one stopped by police when they came to Florida from Savannah, Ga., looking for her.Investigators
are tracking Holmes’ cell phone records and they said the signal from
her phone on the day she talked to her sister was from a cell phone
tower in the Winter Haven area, Coleman said.Holmes came to Florida to pick her daughter from her ex-boyfriend, Ross. They had arrange to meet at Walmart in Haines City.Ross told investigators he last saw Holmes and his daughter Oct. 18 at the
Haines City Walmart where he turned the girl over to her mother, police
have said.Ross could not be reached for comment.Detectives
with the Haines City Police Department reviewed the security tapes from
Walmart on Friday but Holmes and her daughter were not spotted, Capt.
Brian Rall said.“The tapes were not of any value,” Rall said Monday.Anyone
with information about the missing pair, should contact Winter Haven
Detective Sgt. Chris Ford at 863-291-5733 or 863-412-5973 or Detective
Amity McGee at 863-291-5312 or 863-287-1961.Anyone in the Haines City area should contact Haines City police at 863-421-3636.

The FBI is investigating the disappearance of a Savannah woman and her young daughter. Ronkeya
Holmes is a student at Savannah Technical College. Police say her
daughter's father was keeping their 3-year-old in Winter Haven, Florida
so Holmes could focus on school. In mid-October, Holmes traveled to Florida to pick up the little girl and neither have been seen since. The child's father, Lester Ross, told police he met Holmes at a Walmart to hand over the little girl. "Other
than Mr. Ross' statement, we haven't been able to obtain any evidence
that the child exchange actually occurred," said Sgt. Brad Coleman with
the Winter Haven Police Department. That same day, the father's
cousin Joseph Wilcox, was found driving Holmes' car. Police say the men
are refusing to cooperate with detectives. Authorities consider the mother and daughter "endangered". Florida's Department of Law Enforcement and the FBI are now assisting in the investigation. If you know where Ronkeya Holmes and her 3-year-old daughter may be, call police or CrimeStoppers at 912.234.2020.

Endangered Missing

MASARAHA ROSS DOB: Mar 24, 2007 Missing: Oct 18, 2009 Age Now: 2 Sex: Female Race: Black Hair: Black Eyes: Brown Height: 3'2" (97 cm) Weight: 30 lbs (14 kg) Missing From: HAINES CITY FL United States

RONKEYA HOLMES Companion DOB: Sep 22, 1980 Sex: Female Race: Black Hair: Brown Eyes: Brown Height: 5'5" (165 cm) Weight: 145 lbs (66 kg)

The photo on the right and in the center are of Masaraha. She may be in the company of her mother, Ronkeya Holmes. Ronkeya may have dyed her hair.

ANYONE HAVING INFORMATION SHOULD CONTACT National Center for Missing & Exploited Children 1-800-843-5678 (1-800-THE-LOST) Winter Haven Police Department (Florida) 1-863-291-5858

Edith Fletcher isn't
looking forward to the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday - it just won't be
the same without her daughter, Ronkeya Holmes, and granddaughter,
Masaraha Ross, who have been missing for a month.






"Holidays don't even matter anymore. Holidays are for family,"
Fletcher said Tuesday during a phone interview from her home in
Savannah, Ga. "A holiday isn't a holiday without your babies."It's
difficult, she said, to wait for news of her daughter and
granddaughter. She is frustrated by not knowing what has happened to
them and information seems slow in getting to her. And she doesn't
understand why the man she believes is responsible for their
disappearance - Masaraha's father, Lester Ross - has not been listed by
law enforcement agencies as a suspect.But Detective Amity McGee
of the Winter Haven Police Department said investigators from several
agencies - WHPD, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) and
the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) - are working together to
find Holmes, 29, and her 3 1/2-year-old daughter. Authorities are still
sifting through and analyzing information received through court orders."At this time nobody has been named a suspect," McGee said.Meanwhile,
Fletcher is on a leave of absence from her supervisory job at the
Bohemian Hotel Savannah Riverfront until Nov. 24, while she deals with
the emotional roller coaster she's been on since her daughter and
granddaughter were declared missing Oct. 28.She wonders about "her babies" - where they are, what they are doing, how they are dressed, whether or not they are eating."All these things you wonder every day," she said.Fletcher describes her daughter as "a good mom.""She loves her kids. She takes them to the mall and to the park," she said. "She has a sweet personality. Everyone loves her."In addition to Masaraha, Holmes has an 8-year old daughter, Remiah.Masaraha
lives in Savannah, Ga., with her mother, but had been staying with her
father in Winter Haven while Holmes went back to school. Holmes had
come to pick up her daughter to take her home. At the time, Sgt. Brad
Coleman, spokesman for the Winter Haven Police Department, said Holmes
was to retrieve Masaraha from Ross at the Wal-Mart in Haines City.But surveillance tapes from Wal-Mart didn't allow detectives to see whether or not the exchange actually took place.Law
enforcement agencies started piecing together the story, which began
April 14 ,when Holmes met with Lester Ross in St. Augustine. Holmes was
leaving Masaraha with Ross until she finished training to become a
certified nurses assistant and a childcare associate.When Holmes
finished school around Sept. 18, she began attempting to get her
daughter from Lester Ross. On Oct. 2, she made contact with Ross via
text messaging and informed him that she was traveling to Winter Haven
to pick up her daughter. The following day, Holmes arrived in Winter
Haven and contacted Ross, who told her that Masaraha was out of town
with an uncle and would be returning Oct. 4.On Oct. 4, Ross did
not deliver Masaraha to Holmes as promised. Holmes returned to Georgia
and on Oct. 7, contacted Winter Haven Police Department to make a
report.By Oct. 14-15, Holmes was in Winter Haven trying to get
her daughter back and was staying with her former stepfather, Archie
Forte. She then stayed with her grandmother in Haines City one day
before returning to Forte's home.On Oct. 18, Nafateria Fletcher came to Winter Haven because she was worried about her sister.Later
that night, Joseph Wilcox, 34 of Winter Haven, was stopped by Lake Mary
Police while driving the 1992 Ford Escort driven to Florida by Holmes.
Wilcox was arrested on unrelated charges and the vehicle was impounded.
Wilcox is Lester Ross' cousin. Items belonging to Holmes and her
daughter, such as clothes, toys and Holmes' identification badge were
found in the car.On Oct. 20, Nafateria Fletcher spoke with
Holmes on the phone. Fletcher said Holmes told her the car had been
towed when Wilcox was stopped by police and arrested. Holmes would not
tell Fletcher where she was located.Oct. 23, Fletcher filed a report with the Winter Haven Police Department.Ross
told police he last saw Holmes and his daughter on Oct. 18, when he
turned Masaraha over to Holmes at the Haines City Wal-Mart.Ross and Wilcox have stopped providing information in the case, Coleman indicated earlier this month.Edith
Fletcher and her family continue to pray and face each day as it comes.
Holmes' sisters, Tameka and Nafateria, who is called Angel, continue to
have dreams about their sister. And Fletcher will return to Winter
Haven on Thursday."We're doing the best we can. We are just depending on God. That's all we can do," Fletcher said."I really need my babies back because I miss them," Fletcher added.Anyone with information about Ronkeya Holmes and Masaraha Ross is asked to call McGee at 863-291-5312.

The family of missing a 29-year-old Savannah woman and her
3-year-old daughter have set up a $2,000 reward for their safe return.
Ronkeya Holmes and her daughter Masarah Ross have been missing for two months.
In addition to posting a reward for their return, the family also
set up an account at SunTrust Bank to help with any expenses they may
come across related to the search.
Ronkeya's mother Edith Fletcher, said the family is not giving up and will continue their search.
They will be selling T-shirts with the missing pairs pictures on them and hosting bake sales to raise funds for the reward.
Fletcher said she is staying in contact with Winter Haven, Florida investigators, but so far nothing significant has turned up.
In November, Fletcher and her family visited the cities of Winter
Haven and Haines City in Florida to pass out fliers that contained
information about her daughter and granddaughter.
"We not able to sleep. All of us had our own personal relationship
with my sister you know. It's just, it's hard, real hard having to be
there for each other," said Ronkeya's sister Angel Fletcher.
It was October 18, 2009 when Ronkeya drove to Florida to pick up her daughter from the child's father, Lester Ross.
The 3-year-old was staying at her father's home in Winter Haven while Holmes took classes at Savannah Technical College.
Ross says he handed the girl over at a Haines City Walmart, but police haven't found any evidence to back up that claim.
We spoke with Fletcher shortly before she headed to Florida in search of her daughter.
"It's just hard knowing that you have spent two weeks without her
not knowing anything. Where she is, or how she is doing," said Fletcher.
With each day that passes, Fletcher worries that her daughter may no longer be alive.
"I'm ready for that call, but I don't want to get that call," said Fletcher.
Investigators found Ronkeya's car shortly after her disappearance
with her luggage in the front seat, her college badge hanging from the
rear view mirror and several children's items in the back seat.
"I think they planted it in there to cover it up," said Fletcher.
Ronkeya's mother believes her granddaughter's father may have something to do with their disappearance.
Either way, the family says they won't stop searching until they know what really happened to Ronkeya Holmes and her child.
The FBI is also looking into this case.
Investigators haven't been able to find Lester Ross since he was
questioned about the disappearance of Holmes and their daughter.
If you'd like to donate to the search fund, visit any SunTrust Bank and ask to give to the Holmes/Fletcher Benevolent Fund.
And if you know anything about the missing mother and daughter,
call Polk County Crime Stoppers at 800.226.TIPS or your local
authorities.

WINTER HAVEN | The father of missing 3 1/2-year-old Masaraha Ross said
he had nothing to do with the disappearance of his daughter or her
mother.

Masaraha and her 29-year-old mother, Ronkeya Holmes, have been missing
since October, and Lester Ross may have been the last person to see the
two. Lester Ross said the media attention and police scrutiny has
caused him to drink heavily and has affected his ability to get
contracts through his company, Ross Construction.

"I feel like they are mostly at me," Lester Ross said about
investigators. "Jack Daniels made a lot more money from me. I don't
have anything to hide."

Lester Ross said he hired an Orlando lawyer who is using a private
investigator to help with the search, but he hasn't received any
updates.

"I just think that she doesn't want to be bothered," Lester Ross said.
"I just want them to surface so then I can just be done with pretty
much her family."

Winter Haven detectives have the assistance of a special agent from the
Florida Department of Law Enforcement who is working full time on the
case.

Winter Haven investigators say they have tried to interview Lester Ross
again and said they have had a hard getting a response from him. The
last time investigators spoke with him was Oct. 29, said Winter Haven
Detective Amity McGee.

But Lester Ross said he's always been accessible and is still living in his Winter Haven residence.

"I took seven individual lie-detector tests," Lester Ross said. "I told them everything I knew."

Detectives are puzzled by conflicting statements from witnesses,
including Lester Ross and Holmes' family, McGee said. She would not say
whether Lester Ross is a person of interest or a suspect in the case.

Lester Ross, who is originally from Georgia, said he had a sexual
relationship with Holmes, but he never was her boyfriend. He first met
Holmes five years ago at a motel on U.S. 17 North in Winter Haven where
he said he went with his cousin, Joseph Wilcox, to meet some friends.

Lester Ross said he continued a sexual relationship with Holmes, who he
said was living at the motel, and she also had a relationship with
Wilcox, 34.

Wilcox has been at the center of the investigation into the
disappearance of Holmes and her daughter because he was found driving
Holmes' car.

"We talked every now and then," Ross said about his involvement with
Holmes. "I met one of her sisters, and I had a relationship with one of
her sisters. My cousin (Wilcox) had a relationship with her. It wasn't
nothing to brag about."

When he found out Holmes was pregnant with Masaraha, Ross said, he
willingly took on the responsibility of fatherhood and kept his
daughter for a year shortly after she was born.

He kept her again for a second time for five months beginning in June
because Holmes was pursuing nursing at a community college in Georgia.

"She was saying she needed a break, and she needed to get herself together," he said.

GETTING MASARAHA BACK

Three weeks before Holmes and Masaraha were declared missing, Holmes
was trying to get her daughter back from Lester Ross and contacted the
Winter Haven Police Department seeking help.

Police reports show Holmes sent text messages to Lester Ross, questioning him about their daughter's whereabouts.

Lester Ross told Holmes that Masaraha was out of town with his uncle
and should come back in a few days, according to the police report.
When that didn't happen, she turned to the police for help.

On Oct. 7, Officer Lloyd Smith was sent to Lester Ross' home to make arrangements for Holmes to get the girl.

In his police report, Smith said he rang the doorbell and knocked on the door several times with no response.

Holmes told the police officer her mother received a voice mail message
from Lester Ross, indicating he had a family crisis in Fort Lauderdale
and that he would return Masaraha once the family crisis was resolved.

But every time Holmes called to check on Masaraha, Lester Ross told her
the girl was somewhere else, said Nafateria "Angel" Fletcher, Holmes'
sister.

Rather than wait, Holmes wanted to report Masaraha missing. Smith told
her that if she wanted to report her daughter missing, she needed to
contact her local police department in Georgia and file a
missing-person report. He also said he would file an informational
report documenting their conversation.

Lester Ross said that during his conversations with Holmes, there was
no mention of getting her daughter back. What she did want was to
become a family with Lester Ross, he said.

"She wanted to be together," Lester Ross said. "I told her, 'You don't
have yourself together yet and I can't take care of nobody else.' She
wasn't working."

Fletcher said she doesn't doubt her sister wanted a relationship with Lester Ross.

"She was so in love with Lester," Fletcher said. "It's like he meant
the world to her. I guess she trusted him so much because she was in
love with him."

In addition to rekindling a romance, Lester Ross said, Holmes wanted to relocate to Polk.

In her 1992, baby-blue Ford Escort, Holmes returned to Winter Haven
from Savannah, Ga., on Oct. 14 to try to pick up her daughter from
Lester Ross.

Lester Ross told investigators he last saw Holmes and his daughter Oct.
18 at the Haines City Walmart, where Holmes got her daughter back.

Haines City police detectives reviewed surveillance tapes from Walmart and found no evidence Holmes or her daughter were there.

The last time Edith Fletcher or Nafateria Fletcher say they heard from
Holmes was Oct. 20, when Holmes was stopped by police in Sanford and
needed paperwork on the Ford Escort.

Nafateria Fletcher said Holmes sounded "stressed" on the phone. Then
Nafateria Fletcher received another call from Holmes' phone and an
unidentified woman asked for the car's registration. When Nafateria
Fletcher asked to speak with Holmes, the woman hung up.

The car was recovered the day before the last phone call from Holmes
when police in Lake Mary stopped Lester Ross' cousin, Wilcox, who was
driving it with a suspended license.

Neither Holmes nor her daughter was found in the car when Wilcox was
stopped, but police did find Holmes' belongings, including toddler
clothes and toys.

Wilcox was moved from the Seminole County Jail to the Polk County Jail,
where he was held on a charge of violating probation. He was released
from jail Jan. 17 and could not be reached for comment.

Wilcox initially told detectives he didn't know whose vehicle it was
and that Lester Ross had asked him to drive the Escort to Florida's
east coast.

Lester Ross disputed that and said he didn't know what his cousin was
doing with Holmes' vehicle and hadn't asked after Wilcox was arrested.

In a recent follow-up interview with Lester Ross, he said he talked a
few times to his cousin in jail on a three-way conversation with
Wilcox's girlfriend. Lester Ross said he never asked Wilcox where
Masaraha was.

"It was nothing about what was going on," Lester Ross said about the jail telephone conversations.

Lester Ross also said he doesn't think his cousin would endanger Holmes or his daughter. "He ain't that type of guy," he said.

If Holmes were endangered, it wasn't while he made contact with her,
Lester Ross said. She managed to call her family after his cousin was
arrested, he said.

"If something was wrong, then she needed to tell somebody then," Lester Ross said. "Why didn't she tell her people?"

But Nafateria Fletcher doesn't believe how Lester Ross recounted the incident.

"I really think he's lying because how did Joe get her car?" she said.

Holmes' mother said Lester Ross initially helped the family search for
the missing pair. Edith Fletcher said that was the only time she saw
Lester Ross and she hasn't heard from him since.

She said she fears something bad has happened to her daughter and granddaughter.

Edith Fletcher said she has worked tirelessly to keep her daughter and
granddaughter fresh in people's minds. She travels frequently to Polk
to circulate fliers, to knock on doors and to organize volunteers. A
few months ago, Holmes' family raised a $2,000 reward. With each
passing day, it gets harder for Holmes' mother to have hope.


Anyone with information about the case can contact the Winter Haven Police Department at 863-291-5733 or 863-291-5312.

The search continues for a missing Savannah woman and her three-year-old daughter. Ronkeya Holmes disappeared last October.
She left Savannah for Florida to pick up her daughter from the child's father.

The child's father says, he handed the girl over at a Florida Walmart, but no one has seen either since.
Investigators say the mother and daughter are considered "endangered."
Ronkeya's family is offering a $2,000 reward to anyone who can help solve this case.
If you have any information, call CrimeStoppers at 912.234.2020.

http://www.missingkids.com/missingkids/servlet/PubCaseSearchServlet?act=viewCsawDetail&caseNum=1134329&orgPrefix=NCMC&seqNum=1&caseLang=en_US&searchLang=en_US

Ronkeya Holmes missing
http://www.missingkids.com/missingkids/servlet/PubCaseSearchServlet?act=viewChildDetail&caseNum=1134329&orgPrefix=NCMC&seqNum=1&caseLang=en_US&searchLang=en_US
MASARAHA L. ROSS missing still

http://www.theledger.com/article/20091030/NEWS/910305034
WINTER HAVEN INVESTIGATION
Few Clues on Missing Pair
Various people's stories don't match up in
connection with the mother-daughter case, which started Oct. 18.
Merissa Green
THE LEDGER
Published: Friday, October 30, 2009 at 10:24 p.m.
Last Modified: Friday, October 30, 2009 at 10:24 p.m.

WINTER HAVEN | The mystery surrounding a missing 29-year-old Georgia
woman and her 3 1/2-year-old daughter deepened Friday when police
announced they had arrested a man who was found driving the woman's car.
Related Links:
Reward

• Offered for Pair's Return
  
• Family
  Won't Give Up Search For Missing Woman, Toddler
  
• Ga.
  Mother's, Toddler's Belongings Found in Car
  
• Clothes,
  Baby Toys Found in Car of Missing Woman
  
• Father
  of Missing Girl Denies Part in Pair's Disappearance
  
• Clothes,
  Baby Toys Found in Car of Missing Woman
  
• Ga.
  Mother's, Toddler's Belongings Found in Car
  
• Police
  Seek Help in Finding Missing Winter Haven Girl
  
• Police
  Searching for Missing Girl
  

Click to enlarge


Ronkeya Holmes, age 29

FAMILY PHOTO




Click to enlarge


Nafateria "Angel" Fletcher, from Alma Ga., is worried about her sister
Ronkeya Holmes, age 29, and her niece Masarah Ross, age 3, in Winter
Haven, Florida October 30, 2009.

PIERRE DUCHARME | THE LEDGER




Click to enlarge


Edith "Eve" Fletcher, from Savannah Ga., is worried about her daughter
Ronkeya Holmes, age 29, and her granddaughter Masarah Ross, age 3, in
Winter Haven, Florida October 30, 2009.

PIERRE DUCHARME | THE LEDGER


Edith "Eve" Fletcher, from Savannah Ga., is worried about her daughter
Ronkeya Holmes, age 29, and her granddaughter Masarah Ross, age 3, in
Winter Haven, Florida October 30, 2009.

PIERRE DUCHARME | THE LEDGER

Winter Haven detectives say they consider Ronkeya "Keya" Holmes and her daughter Masaraha
endangered, and Lake Mary and Winter Haven police have enlisted the help
of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and the FBI in trying to
locate them.
Holmes'
mother, Edith Fletcher, and sister Nafateria Fletcher last week came
down from the family's home in Savannah to try and find her. When they
couldn't by Oct. 22, they reported her missing to Winter Haven police.
The family last knew of Holmes'
whereabouts Oct. 18, when she stayed with her former stepfather, Archie
Forte, in Winter Haven, according to police. She had come to Winter
Haven on Oct. 14 to try to pick up her daughter from Lester Ross, 31,
who lives in Winter Haven and is Holmes' ex-boyfriend and father of
Masaraha.
On Oct. 19,
Ross' cousin, Joseph Wilcox, 34, of Winter Haven was stopped and
arrested east of Orlando in Lake Mary while driving Holmes' 1992
baby-blue Ford Escort, according to police. He was arrested on charges
he violated his probation on DUI and other charges. None of his charges
relate to the Holmes case.
Winter
Haven police say they have not found any evidence that a crime has been
committed involving Holmes and her daughter, and investigators are
checking statements given by her family and Masaraha's father.
There are a lot of
inconsistencies, said Sgt. Brad Coleman, police spokesman. "If
everyone's stories matched up, we wouldn't have the concern."

http://www.bloggernews.net/123320

http://www.thecoastalsource.com/mostpopular/story/Mother-and-Daughter-Still-Missing/uKHrz-AD7E-A6CzWEb8m1Q.cspx

Mother and Daughter Still Missing

Reported by:Nikki Gaskins Email: ngaskins@thecoastalsource.com Last Update: 4/26 10:13 am

SAVANNAH--It's been six months now and still no sign of a missing Savannah woman and
her young daughter. This week marks the anniversary of the disappearance of 29-year-old Ronkeya Holmes and her
three-year-old daughter Masarah Ross. Neither has been heard from since October 18th.
"The days go by and it gets longer and it gets harder," stated Edith Fletcher.
Fletcher says she relies on her faith to cope with not knowing where her daughter
and granddaughter could be.
"As hard as we pray, I believe, it'll crack sooner or later, even if we don't get her, we'll know what happened,” stated Fletcher.
On October 3^rd,her daughter left Savannah for Winter Haven, Florida to pick up Masarah from her ex-boyfriend, Lester Ross.
“When she went down to get her, we never saw her or Masarah again,” stated
Fletcher.Winter Haven Police believe
the two are in danger---however, they've no suspects and investigators
say Lester Ross isn't cooperating.
"Winter Haven isn't but so big. It seems like they should
have done found her," stated Fletcher. "They just say, 'we're still
looking, we're still out there.'"
Despite no contact since October 18th, Fletcher believes her daughter is still
alive and someone is preventing Holmes from reaching her.
"If she was close to a phone, she would call,” stated Fletcher.
As for Masarah, Fletcher doesn't believe she's with her mother--but instead
with loved ones of Lester Ross.
"Maybe she's over in the Virgin Islands somewhere--that's where some of his
people are,” stated Fletcher.
No matter where they might
be, one thing is certain, she's hopeful answers into her loved ones'
disappearance will come soon.
"You have to just keep
praying and keep believing," stated Fletcher.
If you have
any information on Ronkeya Holmes and her daughter’s whereabouts,
you're asked to call Polk County Crimestoppers at 1-800-226-TIPSPolice say
Lester Ross told them he did return Masarah Ross to Holmes on October
18th, 2009. However, he says that was the last
time he saw them. So far, investigators say
there's no evidence a crime was committed.

http://www.thecoastalsource.com/mostpopular/story/Mother-and-Daughter-Still-Missing/uKHrz-AD7E-A6CzWEb8m1Q.cspx

april 2010 update

There's a new development in the case of a missing college student and her 3-year-old daughter.Ronkeya Holmes and her daughter, Masaraha Ross of Savannah, Georgia, have been missing since April 2009. Holmes left Masaraha with the child's father, Lester Ross, for six months so she could concentrate on her studies at Savannah Technical College.Ross lives in Winter Haven. Last year, when Ronkeya went to pick up her daughter from Lester at a Haines City Walmart, the mother and child disappeared. Winter Haven police say they weren't able to find any security video showing Ross handing the child over and they're not sure whether Ronkeya was at the store.On Friday, it was made public that Lester Ross has been evicted from his Winter Haven home located at 703 Hemenway Drive NE. The property owner gave consent to police to recover his abandoned property so it could be processed.Winter Haven police confirm that they removed the carpet and padding from the home.Ronkeya's mother, Edith Fletcher, says she is frustrated that there hasn't been an arrest in the case. "I feel like they got Lester still walking around and going on, you know. It seems like they could make him talk if they really wanted to. They could make him talk. If it was somebody else, they would and I know if it was their kid they would."Ronkeya's mother says her daughter should have celebrated her 30th birthday in September. Fletcher is organizing a candlelight vigil for her daughter and granddaughter on Monday night at a park in Savannah.

Detectives are still working around the clock trying to figure out what happened to a mother who was trying to juggle college classes while caring for her little girl. Later this week, detectives will post 500 signs in this missing mother and child case.
Ronkeya Holmes and 3-year-old Masaraha were supposedly last seen in Haines City on October 18, 2009.
Holmes who was living in Savannah, Georgia and taking classes at Savannah Technical College. She left Masaraha with the baby's father, Lester Ross, so she could focus on her education. Ross lives in Winter Haven.
But last year, when Ronkeya went to pick up her daughter from Lester at a Haines City Walmart where the two agreed to meet, the mother and child disappeared. Winter Haven Police have not been able to find any security video showing Ross handing the child over.
But now, they're hoping for new clues in the case. Lester Ross has been evicted from his Winter Haven home. The property owner allowed police to recover Holmes' abandoned property. Evidence technicians removed carpet and padding from the home to have it processed.Lt. Brad Coleman with Winter Haven Police Department added, "They were looking for anything that could possibly have any physical evidence attached to it, that would include items such as carpeting or padding up underneath the carpet, anything that might reveal some physical evidence in this case."Ross runs a construction company for a living. Meanwhile, Ronkeya's mother Edith Fletcher, lives in Savannah, Georgia. Monday night she was gearing up for a candlelight vigil in honor of her daughter and granddaughter on the one year anniversary of the last time they were supposedly seen. Fletcher says she wants to keep the case fresh while family members continue to try to raise money for a reward.Lt. Coleman says they not only have a detective assigned to the case but a special agent with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement works out of the Winter Haven Police Department on the case daily. "I can't think of any other case I've heard of at the Winter Haven Police Department where people have been assigned to just a case non stop continuously working the case on a daily basis."

Police dig at missing girl Masaraha Ross' Winter Haven home
Winter Haven, Florida - On Tuesday morning, crime scene evidence technicians set up tents and slipped on gloves so they could dig in the back yard of a home where a 3-year-old girl -- missing for a year -- supposedly lived for six months.

The police chief for the Winter Haven Police Department, Gary Hester, says, "This is part of our investigation to eliminate the possibility - to make sure there's no evidence of any bodies buried in the backyard."

The house is located at 703 Hemenway Drive NE in Winter Haven.

Photo Gallery: Police now digging at home of missing child

It was a year ago, back on October 18 of 2009, when 3-year-old Masaraha Ross and her mother Ronkeya Holmes, were supposedly last seen in a Haines City Walmart parking lot.

Ronkeya and her daughter lived in Savannah, Georgia but Ronkeya left Masaraha with the child's father, Lester Ross, so she could concentrate on classes she was taking at Savannah Technical College. Lester Ross was living at the home on Hemenway in Winter Haven.

From the start there were questions over who was caring for Masaraha according to Ronkeya's mother, Edith Fletcher. Fletcher says, "She would call and say, 'Well you know, let me speak to Masaraha or I'm going to come get her.' He would always say she's either asleep or she's out of town."

When Ronkeya's classes ended about six months later she traveled to Winter Haven several times, according to Fletcher, to pick up Masaraha. Fletcher says, "And I just told her to just go and get her and so when she got there, he didn't want to give her to her."

Fletcher says Ronkeya arrived on one occasion and says Lester told her Masaraha was out of town, so Ronkeya drove back to Georgia and phoned Winter Haven Police to file a report.

Lt. Coleman confirms that Ronkeya contacted their department to try to get their help getting her daughter back, but on October 18, 2009 Lester Ross says he agreed to meet Ronkeya at a Haines City Walmart to hand the child over.

Coleman, says Ross claims that was the last time he saw them. Lt. Coleman says they have never able to locate security video supporting the claim. "Other than Mr. Ross' statement, we haven't been able to obtain any evidence that the child exchange actually occured."

Ronkeya's blue Ford Escort was located on the same day Ross says he handed their daughter over.

Lt. Coleman says Joseph Wilcox was driving Ronkeya's car and was pulled over by a Lake Mary police officer around 11 p.m. on Oct. 18, 2009. Wilcox is Lester's cousin, and was arrested on unrelated charges.

Ronkeya's luggage was on the front passenger seat and there were children's items in the back seat. Ronkeya's student badge was clipped to the rear view mirror, but mother and daughter were nowhere to be found.

Tuesday morning, a crew from the City of Winter Haven engineering department brought out a piece of equipment called a ground penetrating radar. They ran the equipment over an area on the side of the house and in the backyard of the home Lester Ross recently rented.

After their work concluded, crime scene evidence technicians from the Winter Haven Police Department and the Polk County Sheriff's Office moved in and set up tents. They brought in shovels and latex gloves as well as big wooden boxes with metal screens in the bottom normally used to sift through dirt.

Under one of the tents was a pile of ashes that technicians appeared to be meticulously inspecting as well.

The activity at the house left some neighbors like Valary Henry close to tears. "I was just hoping they wouldn't find anything. That's somebody's daughter."

According to police, Lester Ross was recently evicted from the home. Last Friday the owner of the property gave consent to allow the police department to search the house and retrieve any abandoned property.

Lt. Coleman says, "They were looking for anything that could possibly have any physical evidence attached to it that would include items such as carpeting or padding up underneath the carpet - anything that might reveal some physical evidence in this case."

Valary Henry was just getting home from work as the police officers arrived on scene but says when she went home to rest she just couldn't sleep thinking about the missing mother and child. She says her heart goes out to Ronkeya's mother. "It might be slim to her - but there's still hope. They didn't find anything here so there's still hope. Hopefully they'll find them."

Meanwhile Chief Hester says they didn't find anything significant during their search on Tuesday but he says they won't know for sure until soil samples sent to the crime lab are analyzed which could take some time.
http://www.wtsp.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=151765&catid=8

Winter Haven police detectives found no evidence Tuesday in the search of a former home of Lester Ross, the father of a 3-year-old girl who has been missing for a year.
"Certainly there were no bodies being discovered," Police Chief Gary Hester said Tuesday. "There's no credible evidence found."

Hester said detectives were being proactive by searching the property for signs of the toddler, Masarah Ross, and her 29-year-old mother, Ronkeya Holmes, who have been missing since October 2009.

Lester Ross, 32, has not been officially named a suspect and detectives don't know where the mother and daughter are."There's no proof to indicate (they're) alive and there's no proof to indicate she's deceased," said Lt. Brad Coleman, a Police Department spokesman.While he's not been named a suspect, Hester said, Lester Ross is a huge part of the investigation."He's certainly somebody we have a significant amount of interest in to try to locate these folks," Hester said.Lester Ross lived at 703 Hemenway Drive N.E. He has denied any involvement in the mother and daughter's disappearance in previous interviews with The Ledger and detectives.Detectives were able to search the property after Lester Ross was moved out - police say he was evicted - and the property's owner allowed police to conduct the search, Coleman said.Several items were taken including carpet samples, he said.Lester Ross said Tuesday that he was not evicted and he hasn't lived at the house for three months. He said he has lived out of state, but would not disclose his location."They can tear the house down," Lester Ross said. "I haven't done anything."Holmes' older sister, Nafateria "Angel" Fletcher, said Tuesday detectives told her and her family about Lester Ross' eviction and that detectives will keep them updated.Nafateria Fletcher and her mother, Edith Fletcher, held a candelight vigil in Savannah, Ga., on Monday for the missing pair.Holmes was from Savannah but lived briefly in Polk County before returning to Georgia to attend school."What we plan to accomplish from that is to keep support behind us," said Nafateria Fletcher. "We're not giving up."Edith Fletcher said she agrees."I have no other choice but to hope," the mother said. "I still got faith."Nafateria Fletcher said sometimes it has been hard for her family to maintain hope."We have our breakdown moments but we call each other to strengthen each other," she said. "We're in prayer."Lester Ross was arrested in February for driving on a suspended license and was released in March. His arrest history dates to 2002 and charges include aggravated battery and cruelty to animals.Lester Ross, who also is from Georgia, previously told The Ledger he had a sexual relationship with Holmes but he never was her boyfriend.He first met Holmes five years ago at a motel on U.S. 17 North in Winter Haven where he said he went with his cousin, Joseph Wilcox, to meet some friends.Three weeks before Holmes and Masarah were declared missing, Holmes was trying to get her daughter back from Lester Ross and contacted the Winter Haven Police Department seeking help.Police reports show Holmes sent text messages to Lester Ross, questioning him about their daughter's whereabouts.Lester Ross told Holmes that Masarah was out of town with his uncle and should be back in a few days, according to the police report.When that didn't happen, she turned to the police for help.On Oct. 7, 2009, Officer Lloyd Smith was sent to Lester Ross' home to make arrangements for Holmes to get the girl.In his police report, Smith said he rang the doorbell and knocked on the door several times with no response.Holmes told the police officer her mother received a voice mail message from Lester Ross, indicating he had a family crisis in Fort Lauderdale and he would return Masarah once the family crisis was resolved.But every time Holmes called to check on Masarah, Lester Ross told her the girl was somewhere else, Nafateria Fletcher said in previous interviews with The Ledger.Rather than wait, Holmes wanted to report Masarah missing. Smith told her that if she wanted to report her daughter missing, she needed to contact her local police department in Georgia and file a missing-person report.He also said he would file an informational report documenting their conversation.Holmes returned to Winter Haven from Savannah on Oct. 14, 2009, to try to pick up her daughter from Lester Ross.Lester Ross told investigators he last saw Holmes and his daughter Oct. 18, 2009, at the Haines City Walmart, where Holmes got her daughter back.Haines City police detectives reviewed surveillance tapes from Walmart and found no evidence Holmes or her daughter were there.Her car was found on Oct. 18, two days before the last phone call from Holmes when police in Lake Mary stopped Lester Ross' cousin, Wilcox, who was driving the 1992 Ford Escort with a suspended license.Neither Holmes nor her daughter was found in the car when Wilcox was stopped, but police did find Holmes' belongings, including toddler clothes and toys.Lake Mary police impounded the car.The last time Edith Fletcher or Nafateria Fletcher say they heard from Holmes was Oct. 20, 2009. During that conversation, Nafateria Fletcher said, Holmes told her she had been stopped by police in Sanford and needed paperwork on her car.Nafateria Fletcher said Holmes sounded "stressed" on the phone.After that last call, Fletcher received another call on Holmes' phone and an unidentified woman asked for the car's registration.When Nafateria Fletcher asked to speak with Holmes, the woman hung up.Wilcox was moved from the Seminole County Jail to the Polk County Jail, where he was held on a charge of violating probation. He was released from jail Jan. 17 and could not be reached for comment for this article.Police have not named Wilcox as a suspect, either.

Can't they trace who called the cell phone??

Winter Haven Police marked the one-year disappearance of Ronkeya Holmes and her 3-year-old daughter, Masarah Ross, in October, by plastering signs around the city and at the Polk County Courthouse.

A month later, their efforts have not generated any leads, and investigators are running out of ideas, Lt. Brad Coleman said Tuesday.
"Somebody knows," Coleman said. "Something like this doesn't stay a secret forever. They (people with information) need to find it in their heart to call us and do the right thing."
Coleman said Special Agent Scott Gibson of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and Winter Haven police Detective Amity McGee have worked aggressively on the case.
Three weeks before Holmes and her daughter were declared missing last year, Holmes was trying to get her daughter back from Lester Ross, Masarah's father, and had contacted the Winter Haven Police Department seeking help.
Last month, investigators searched Ross' former home at 703 Hemenway Drive N.E.
The property owner allowed detectives to search the property after Ross moved out. Police said he was evicted.
Several items were taken including carpet samples, Coleman said.
On the day of the search, Lester Ross told The Ledger he was not evicted and he had not lived at the house for three months. He said he was living out of state, but would not disclose his location.
While Ross has not been named a suspect, detectives said he is a significant part of the investigation.
Police reports show Holmes, 29, sent text messages to Ross, 32, questioning him about their daughter's whereabouts. She made several trips from Georgia where she was living to Winter Haven to try to get her daughter back.

Ross told Holmes that Masarah was out of town with his uncle and should be back in a few days, according to the police report.
When that didn't happen, she involved the Police Department. On Oct. 7, 2009, Winter Haven Officer Lloyd Smith was sent to the home of Lester Ross to make arrangements for Holmes to get the child. In his police report, Smith said he rang the doorbell and knocked on the door several times with no response. Holmes wanted to file a missing persons report on her daughter but was told by Smith that she would need to do it with her local police department in Georgia.
Ross told investigators he last saw Holmes and his daughter Oct. 18, 2009, at the Haines City Walmart where Holmes got her daughter back.
Haines City police detectives reviewed surveillance tapes from Walmart and found no evidence Holmes or her daughter were there. Holmes' car was found Oct. 18 when police in Lake Mary stopped Lester Ross' cousin, Joseph Wilcox, who was driving the 1992 Ford Escort with a suspended license.
Neither Holmes nor her daughter was found in the car when Wilcox was stopped, but police did find Holmes' belongings, including toddler clothes and toys. Wilcox, 35, was moved from the Seminole County Jail to the Polk County Jail, where he was held on a charge of violating probation. He was released from jail Jan. 17. Lake Mary police impounded the car and it was later turned over to the Winter Haven Police Department.
Ross was arrested in February for driving on a suspended license and was released in March. His arrest history dates to 2002 and charges include aggravated battery and cruelty to animals.
Ross, who also is from Georgia, previously told The Ledger he had a sexual relationship with Holmes but he never was her boyfriend.
Anyone with information about the case should contact the Winter Haven police department at 863-291-5620.

"Ross told Holmes that Masarah was out of town with his uncle and should be back in a few days, according to the police report."

I keep seeing this comment. Has anyone found this "Uncle" and verified that Masaraha was alive and well at this time? My heart goes out to 'Keyes' mother and family.

The father who Winter Haven Police say may have been the last person
to see his young daughter and her mother before they went missing in
October of 2009 has been arrested.
32-year-old Lester Ross was taken into custody early Friday morning
in Lakeland. He accused of not paying child or spousal support and
grand theft.
Detectives say while he was renting a house in Winter Haven he used utilities without paying. The house located at
703 Hemenway Drive was searched on October 18. Evidence technicians dug
up the back yard looking for clues after he was evicted from the house.

Winter Haven police say they still have no new leads into what
happened to Ronkeya Holmes and Masaraha Ross. They are considered
missing and endangered.
Lester Ross was supposed to be caring for the 3-year-old so Ronkeya
could concentrate on her classes at Savannah Technical College. He
maintains he turned his daughter back over to Ronkeya at a Haines City
Wal-mart but detectives were never able to find security video to
support the claim and the mother and daughter haven't been seen since.

Skeletal remains found in shallow grave in Winter Haven orange grove





WINTER HAVEN --

The search for a missing mother and daughter has led to the discovery of a shallow grave with skeletal remains in a Winter Haven orange grove.

Winter Haven Police, the Polk Sheriff's Office and the FDLE were acting on a 'credible tip'. The remains have not been identified.

Authorities are using ground-penetrating radar and cadaver dogs after receiving a tip that Ronkeya Holmes, 29, and her 3-year-old daughter Masarah Ross may be buried in the orange grove near Dundee Road and Sage Road.

Holmes and Ross have been missing since last December. Winter Haven Police said before they disappeared, Holmes was desperately trying to get her daughter back from the child's father, Lester Ross, and was also questioning where their daughter was.

Ross was arrested last Friday on child support charges, but police say that arrest had nothing to do with the search for Holmes and Masarah Ross. He bonded out of jail late Wednesday morning.

In October, police searched for the bodies of the mother and daughter at Ross' former home. That dig turned up no evidence. Ross told police he last saw Holmes and Masarah Ross at a local Walmart, but surveillance tapes according to police revealed the two were never there.

Winter Haven Police are not calling Ross a suspect in the disappearance of Holmes or his daughter, but they do say he has been a "significant part" of their investigation.

More digging in the orange grove is expected Wednesday, with police saying they may be searching the grove for several days to come.





http://www.baynews9.com/article/news/2010/december/186187/Authorities-acting-on-credible-tip-in-search-for-missing-mom-and-daughter